I am VERY excited to make a cookbook announcement…cooking/photographing production is DONE! I can barely believe it. I might add a few more once it’s all together, but for now…done. Now onto the easy task of writing/editing/graphic designing/publishing (right). No I am actually very pleased with how it’s coming. I love the content. They are recipes I’ve written and use frequently and am confident to pass on. My photographer is brilliant, her work pure art. And I’m just starting back into regular September life with preschool schedules, gymnastics etc, so it’s easier to plan to write from the MacBook wherever I may be instead of cook all afternoon in the kitchen.

So to celebrate the end of one part of this journey…a little cookbook preview! This was the last recipe I did and it is such a delicious cake, it disappeared before I had much of a chance for a photo. I honestly do not think that your guests or kids or whomever your critics may be will have ANY idea that this cake is pretty darn healthy. It uses a little bit of butter, but mostly yogurt, a teensy bit of raw sugar but mostly maple syrup, so….it’s a treat, but just barely.

Quickly Disappearing Maple Apple Cake

Maple Apple Cake

Serves 12

Cake

3 cups spelt flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup raw sugar

3 eggs

1 cup greek style vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup maple syrup (the darker the better)

2 cups shredded apples

Glaze

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 with a rack in the middle. Grease a bundt pan. Sift together first three ingredients into a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add eggs one at a time and beat to incorporate after each addition, scraping the bowl down each time. Add yogurt and maple syrup and beat until incorporated. Add flour and beat on low until just combined. Stir in apples. Pour into bundt pan and bake until cake is set and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean approximately 50 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in pan on a rack. Turn onto platter.

Prepare the glaze: in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add maple syrup and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, swirling the pan frequently. Add heavy cream and bring back to a slow boil. Simmer for another 5 minutes or until glaze begins to turn a deeper shade of amber. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Assemble: With a skewer(a chopstick works great), pierce holes in the top of the cake so that the glaze will soak in. Pour the warm glaze over the warm cake. Serve.